Private landlord fined for fire safety failures

A Nottingham-based landlord has been fined after failing to adhere to rental laws related to fire safety.

Private landlord Simon Fields was fined £6,000 and local firefighters hope his punishment will serve as a warning to other rental property owners that safety precautions should be taken seriously, reports the Nottingham Evening Post.

Fire protection officer Mark Huckerby told the newspaper that a fire at Mr Fields' flats in Belper Road, Radford in June last year could have led to a fatal incident, as a second-floor resident had to be escorted to safety.

Mr Fields did not have a fire alarm, smoke detection system, sufficient emergency lighting or self-closing doors in place at the property, and this led to his prosecution, the article noted.

His punishment comes after the National Landlords Association yesterday urged landlords to take fire safety rental laws seriously.

"Precautions taken in a rental property will offer reassurance to tenants that their landlord strives to keep their property as safe as possible,"said David Salusbury, the landlord advice body's chairman.